Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

F/SF fandom, in our day, was very influenced by the 'counter-culture' at the time; fandom before and after the war was a lot more conservative and a lot more 'strait-laced' then what it became in the very late Sixties and early to middle Seventies. Nudity at conventions was very common then, as a way of "freaking the mundanes" - a lot of it was for the shock value, from what I saw.

That... is a really good point. The popularity and power of Star Trek and Star Wars played a huge role in mainstreaming fantasy and SF.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Let me take a run at this...

Yes, I'd agree with you on your players, given the way we played. Survival was our goal most of the time, pure and simple.

I could talk about Gordy for hours. Where would you like me to start? The time I saved his book collection in his basement from the flood? Or on writing? I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific...

1). Yes. Pretty much all of the early games were a lot 'cleaner' then Tekumel was thought to be.

2) Precisely. Couldn't agree more, myself.

Yep, I'm hoping that my account of our adventures will introduce Tekumel to people; one can only hope...

Well, about GDickson, wherever you want...
I'm more interested in his writing. But I can sense that the book collection in the basement is going to be an entertaining one...
Let's start with it.

On clean games - I know, I just avoid them. The Middle Ages had lots of naughtiness going under some cover, and often without it, too. That was even before we get to stuff like the 17th century...
(Acceptable naughtiness in a culture ebbs and flows, though. In the West, it really went down at the time of the Industrial Revolution...unless you were out of the West proper, where anything goes).
Thing is, even in the most prudish setting, PCs are likely to meet people that regard such rules as something that concerns other people. Hence, my joke that I don't know such settings.

And one can hope for more interested players after your book becomes available. We're going to kick the social media to make it known. And then we're going to see the effect!

Shrug. What's a "clean" setting? I've played both Star Wars and 4 color comic book superhero games with great enjoyment, and in both those universes sex virtually doesn't exist. Except for Anakin and Padme one could get the impression that people in Star Wars procreate by budding, and in 1970s comic books there is apparently spontaneous generation. But the games were lots of fun.

The simple fact is that most of the time it doesn't matter. Further, I play RPGs to do things I can't do in real life. I've been sexually active for over 40 years, but in real life I have yet to do a 30 foot Force powered leap into a bunch of Imperial Stormtroopers and start laying about with my lightsaber.

Frankly, watching "the other group" doing sexual roleplay was more boring than anything else. "Yes, yes, you sticked it in her mouth and she went oog. Happy? Can we do something interesting now?"

As I frequently explain to the kids I run games for at my store. This game is G rated, none of the people even have genetilia and babies are made by kissing too long with the wrong background music playing.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Ah, yes, the Internet.

"The Internet, the Internet, what happened to the Internet," to paraphrase Danny Kaye.

The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory is true.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19

Further, before the Internet every village had its idiot, but now they gather at VillageIdiots.Com and support each other. The "Bandar-Log" factor.

Further, the trend that C.S. Lewis noted way back in "Screwtape Proposes a Toast" has intensified as people apply "democracy" not to a system of voting, but to the notion that all opinions are equally valid.

True, this; I need to register that domain name. I'll make a fortune, and be able to support my lead habit.

(Currently painting the wonderful figures from Dark Fable Miniatures: http://www.darkfableminiatures.com/ and loving it!)

Originally Posted by Hrugga

Ahh, I really have to to catch up on my sci-fi pulp. I'm more familiar with the fantasy and horror writers, Smith, Howard, Lovecraft, etc. But the sci-fi writers...
So much to read!!!

I actually bought a copy of The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester this week(local used book store, great price). I haven't had a chance to start it yet. Thanks.

Take care,
H :0)

Excellent! I think you'll find some wonderful source materials in there...

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

That... is a really good point. The popularity and power of Star Trek and Star Wars played a huge role in mainstreaming fantasy and SF.

And remember how much weeping and wailing there was from the 'true fans' about how us 'media fans' were ruining their conventions and fan clubs?

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

And remember how much weeping and wailing there was from the 'true fans' about how us 'media fans' were ruining their conventions and fan clubs?

Oh, Crom, I'd forgotten that. And now Dragon Con is what... 60,000 people or so?

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

(Currently painting the wonderful figures from Dark Fable Miniatures: http://www.darkfableminiatures.com/ and loving it!)

Those are cool. I like the fact that they included some pygmies/dwarfs.